Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Taking Your Life Back ❯ How To Deal ( Chapter 16 )

“...Have you seen Naruto?”

 

I looked up tiredly from my resting place, my face buried in my arms. Shikamaru loomed over my desk...Like he knew me.

 

“...Why do you ask me, of all people?” I droned out, cheek now resting on the propped up palm of my hand as I lazily looked around the room.

 

“...Because you're his stupid boyfriend, asshole.” Ho, what a genius he is. I glanced over at him for a few seconds before roaming my eyes over the group of girls nestled in the back, giggling at me. I smiled at them, and a few of them fainted.

 

“...Yeah, well, he dumped my ass.”

 

When he didn't say anything to me, I tried myself on the female population, waving seductively at them, narrow eyes sparkling. A harsh uproar of screams flooded the room, every single one of those girls dropping to the floor like flies. I blinked at them, and then up at Shikamaru, who held a look of horror. I straightened up a bit, seeing as he wasn't taking the news lightly. Why should he even care?

 

“...What's wrong, Shikamaru? Shocked he dumped me before I could dump him?”

 

Everything was silent as he punched me across the face.

 

As I toppled out of my seat and to the floor, the girls had gathered themselves up enough to start screaming again, but at my pain, this time. They held their girlish fists up to their chests and squealed for a teacher, but no one came. Shikamaru still held his tight painful fist up in the air, panting lightly with narrowed eyes and furrowed eyebrows to match. I rubbed my cheek. Who thought such a lazy ass could throw such a nice punch?

 

“What's it now, Shika? Upset he ran away before you could make a move of your own?”

 

I didn't even know why I said these things.

 

I didn't mean any of them...

 

...But they felt so right to say.

 

He tackled me back down again, straddling my stomach as he held his shaking fist above his head, ready to punch the living daylights out of me. But he didn't, and he just trembled as he glared with furious eyes.

 

“...Do you even realize what you're saying?” he yelled out, clutching my collar with his free hand. “...Naruto isn't going to come back, you asshole! When he's depressed, he'll run away, and if not persuaded, he won't ever come back! EVER! I'll never see my best friend again, because of you!”

 

He snarled loudly as he launched his fist at me again, but I caught it quickly, clutching at it tightly. I leaned up to him, my whole body hurting with guilt that didn't even belong to me.

 

“How the fuck is it MY fault, you son of a bitch? He's the one who broke up with ME!”

 

Shikamaru stopped his destined punch, staring at me with strange eyes. I didn't know what they were trying on me, and I doubt I could really describe it.

 

“...Why do you look so hurt, Sasuke?” he called out softly. I took those words in for a moment before I jerked him closer to my face, intimidating him further.

 

“...WHY DO YOU THINK?” I screamed. I had never really raised my voice that high before, and I realized it had cracked and quivered like a pitiful crying idiot. But I wasn't crying; I wanted to, oh did I want to.

 

The fan girls were silent, and I found the reason, as Kakashi had come into the room, only to pick up Shikamaru by his loose collar. Shikamaru squirmed like a trapped animal in Kakashi's strong hands as I sat up slowly. His only visible eye narrowed playfully at me, and I snarled.

 

“...Rough housing, are you? Kids these days think they're all so great...Well you're NOT, so break it up and sit down!”

 

I sighed as I sat down, touching the growing bruise on my cheek. Out of no where, Kakashi tossed an ice pack at my face, forcing a pained cry from my lips as it made contact with the abused skin. I glared up at him as the classroom settled.

 

“...Why, you're welcome, Sasuke-kun!”

 

---

 

Truthfully, my ankles had developed blisters, and as I had nothing to treat them with, not a band-aid nor any Neosporin, it burst. Blood flowed freely down my feet, and every step I took ached sharply.

 

I had learned from an early age that that is the price for being a runaway.

 

Atleast I wasn't carrying anything, or it might have only hurt more. But I kept walking, walking, like I was actually going somewhere.

 

It was early morning, the sky dusted with dark clouds and the sun not even peeking over the hills yet.

 

No, those weren't hills. Those were Mountains.

 

I had not a chance to look at my surroundings, because I simply wasn't interested. I wasn't going to a friend's house: I couldn't live there forever, and they'd eventually rat me out. I couldn't stay at a shelter: Bad experiences. Living on the streets was my last offer, and to hell with everything else.

 

The dark morning carried with it a fog which trailed across the ground seductively. It looked bad for the health, and my body brought upon itself the need to cough. I wheezed for no reason; my body was only acting up again. But looking up as the fog dispersed...

 

...Oh fuck, is that a corn field?

 

I stumbled in my step and tripped into the field, falling into a pile of corn husks to the corner of the crop. I think I had got too far out North, where the local farms were. I had lost myself in urban life, and there really wasn't a future for me otherwise. I'd live amongst the rural...?

 

I sighed at my last resort, trying to stand and finding I couldn't. Eyeing my bloodied ankles and realizing I was down on my limits, I brought my arms behind my head as support and closed my eyes to rest in the dewy humid morning air.

 

...Not like I ever had a home to return to...

 

...No one is going to miss me...

 

...I wouldn't have someone worried enough to actually go looking for me...

 

...And really...

 

...I wouldn't be surprised if I was never found.

 

Tears sprung to my eyes, and I cried out for them to stop, rubbing at them furiously `til the skin around them turned a delicately bright red.

 

...And that is the truth...

 

---

 

That night, I slept alone.

 

My large and soft bed lay empty as I stared down at it. I was almost afraid to sleep in it, for reasons I had not to tell. Naruto's bag sat in the corner, forgotten by its owner. I hadn't changed my clothes, and I was probably dirty from that tumble with Shikamaru, but I didn't care. I only stared down at the thing, finding not even the half I slept on pleasurable.

 

...Half of it was empty.

 

Where was he now? Why hadn't he come home?

 

...Is this all my fault?

 

I continued to watch Naruto's side of the bed, as if I stared at it long enough, he'd magically appear for me to apologize to, and hold, and kiss, and touch, and love. But it didn't happen, and I was still all alone. We had been sleeping in the same bed for almost 4 months now, and this one day, only one day...

 

...He wasn't there.

 

I slowly slipped myself under the sleek white sheets, kicking off my shoes and socks as I went. My pillow felt like stone, and the mattress felt like a bag of rocks, even though my body molded softly into its form. It felt horrible, and I imagined the floor would be more comfortable. I turned my head to his side of the bed, empty as empty could be, and every time I looked back at it, it hurt. There was nothing there.

 

I reached over to his pillow, feeling it across my course fingertips. It was feathery soft, cool to the touch. Rolling over to his side, the mattress embraced me warmly, plundering its spongy feel. The whole side of the bed was warm, like he had only woken up moments ago to go to the bathroom, and would come back any second. But my mind kept forcing it upon me that that was just a lie, a fabrication of reality just to make myself feel better... It didn't help much. And as I knotted fingers in the pillow under my head, I closed my eyes slowly...

 

...Not like I'd be able to sleep anyway...

 

---

 

Sakura was damn perky the next day. She hadn't seen Naruto at all, and that only meant good things! She added a skip to her step and love to her heels as she bounded over to the Uchiha, who was combing his long fingers through his raven hair like he always did when he was frustrated, nervous, or depressed. Sakura tightly wound her arms around his waist, jolting him from his shaky stupor to glance down at the girl widely. She smiled at him sweetly as her embrace tightened.

 

“...Well aren't you looking sharp today?” she cooed. She noticed his gritting teeth, and let a finger crawl up his chest to rub at his collarbone. He was unfazed, but she'd fix that.

 

“...Something bothering you, Sasuke?” She had tried hard not to say Sasuke-kun, a very old habit of hers. She thought that if she acted differently from the Sasuke Squad, he'd think she was different. She leaned up to purr in his ear, and he let her.

 

“...Anything I could help with?” She thought she was on a roll, the way this was progressing. He was loosening up, and turning around to face her completely, he let hands roam up and down her hips, lips leaning to her ears. She sighed lightly, though on the inside, Inner Sakura was screeching in victory. She had gotten Naruto out of the way AND Sasuke as a boyfriend all in the span of two days! What not to celebrate?

 

“...So you're the one who caused all this...” he whispered as his hands clamped down over my protruding hipbones. She blew into his ear, her soft hands trailing over his.

 

“...I don't know what you're talking about, Sasuke...” Playing innocent was a past-time for Sakura, and it still hadn't falter. Inner Sakura was panicking.

 

“...You're the one who told Naruto off...Tell the whole school, right? Something I would expect from a girl...” his deep timbre caused Sakura to arch against him, emeralds sparkling.

 

“...How'd you figure it out? No wonder they all say you're smart...” His boney fingers lit up fire under her skin as they flew down her thighs.

 

“...He gave me no reason...We were too happy for a break up.” The words crushed those sparkling emeralds into dark forest orbs. Sakura frowned angrily, tearing her hands from his to grasp his cheeks to bring them into a kiss. But he stopped her, his hands on her cheeks now, keeping her from her destined lip locking. Tears formed in her big green eyes, and Sasuke narrowed his own.

 

“...What do I have to do to get you to like me?” she cried out, “I dress well, I'm popular, I always spend hours primping up for you, and now I've got Naruto out of the picture, what more can I do?”

 

Sasuke slowly pushed her away from him, obsidians glowing.

 

“...You can stop trying...That is all.”

 

Blinking away her tears, he was gone. The school doors were swinging shut, and a certain busty principal was complaining loudly at the number of runaway students she had had lately.